


Dextro & Levo

by OfficialWeedTesterguy



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-29 11:50:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21409723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfficialWeedTesterguy/pseuds/OfficialWeedTesterguy
Summary: A series of one shots featuring my ME OCs, Jack and Terrina.
Relationships: Original Male Human Character(s)/Original Female Turian Character(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

Bonding Day

June 8, 2188

Cipritine, Palaven

I took a deep breath, adjusting my suit for the last time, checking my face and clothes. Clean. Good. I still couldn't believe it. I was getting married. Or bonded. Whatever each species calls it, Terrina and I had become official. We had started out friends, her and I working together with our squad on Taetrus during the uprising. Over the course of a month, we began to develop feelings for each other.

During our one-week "leave", we'd made love for the first time, many times. We had fought alongside one another, protected one another, and cared for one another. Shortly before the rebel's final push on our last stronghold, we'd gone in a storage room, kissing for what we thought would be the last time, declaring our love for each other. Thankfully, we made it out, with some scars and bruises.

We'd been given leave by the Hierarchy, and had met her parents, and clan for the first time. Thankfully, they were very supportive. We had lived together in Cipritine, and I took her to Earth to see my old home, and to see my parents' grave, the one thing of my family I had left after the Reapers had hit.

And that day in Vegas after two years as a couple, at the top of the Stratosphere, after treating her to a delicious dinner, I had proposed to her. She accepted, us crying with happiness. We had gone over the bonding arrangements. We had left our military jobs, and due to my lack of family, I'd take her name and markings. I had invited a few friends, the only humans that were there, as well as a few other interspecies couples we'd made friends with, meeting through the Extranet. My best man Dominic, a friend from the web also married to a female turian, was more than happy to do this.

"You ready?" The music Spirits Bind Us began to play. "Yes."

He walks behind me into the Petatius family garden, our chosen bonding place. As I slowly walk up to the front, taking in the music, I look over, and see her. Beautiful. Dressed in the bonding dress she'd picked, beautiful blue and silver robes covering her, with a smile on her face as we eyed each other. Hey you. When I reach the altar, I anxiously wait. She stands next to me.

"You look beautiful." I whisper.

"You too."

I nod, and we stand in silence as the music ends, and the spirit-priest takes the stage, and begins to read the rites.

"Fellow clans, today we are gathered here on the spirits-blessed day to bond Terrina of Clan Petatius and Jack Philips of clan Philips. Do any attendees have any concerns, gripes, or other grievances?"

Silence. He nods. "Will the couple join hands?"

We do, with a soft touch, gripping firmly.

"Which one of you is making the clan exchange?"

"I do. I renounce Clan Philips, to bond to Clan Petatius." I say, smiling.

"So it shall be. Terrina, do you accept?"

"I do." She says, her voice slightly cracking. This is beautiful. Holding hands, we begin to cite the words.

"A'petentia tullia eliir animae oporte mues." Give to me your life, your spirit.

I respond. "Ita meus animae, a'condonia talus." Thus my life and spirit, I give you. Terrina's voice briefly cracks. "A'petentia tulla eliir kogitae oporte meus." I want that your thoughts should be mine.

"Ita meus kogitae, a'condonia talus." I say. Thus my mind, I give to you.

"A'petentia tulla eliir oporte korporae meus." I want that your body should be mine.

"Ita meus korporae, a'condonia talus." Thus my body, I give to you. I finish.

We say these words as one. "Ita meus animae, ita meus kogitae, ita meus korporae, a'condonia eliis." And thus I give to you my life and spirit, my thoughts, my body.

Our eyes are glassy due to the emotions flowing through them. She says the final line.

"Adinunctus meus gensae." Join, be one, with my clan. She welcomes me into her family and bloodline.

We are bonded. We kiss, passionately and aggressively, drawing many 'ooohs' and 'ahhs' from the surprised crowd.

"On behalf of me and the spirits...you are hereby declared bonded!" He removes the thread. "Now, Terrina, mark him."

She takes the blue paint, and I close my eyes as she draws flawless Petatius markings on my face. It dries quickly, and when she's done, we kiss as the crowd cheers, tla'uan petals are tossed in the air. We make it last, my soft lips and tongue intertwining with her hard, but slightly soft plates, and her tongue connects with my mouth.

"I love you forever, Terrina. I'll always be with you and love you."

"Jack...I love you too. You're the mate I've always wanted. You are my everything."

We kiss again, and she marks me, softly biting to leave her mark to mark us as bonded. She did it last week in bed, but just to make sure. We dance both turian and human styles, to music. Turian music isn't all hardcore battle anthems. We kiss many times. Due to the Petatius' wealth as Blackwatch and general respectively, they've put a lot of time and money into this. We thank them, her parents welcoming me officially to the clan.

The celebration lasts the whole day, consisted of partying, dancing, and eventually lounging around. Eventually, when dinner is done, we retreat back to our fancy bedroom, making love the whole night. Just us, our naked bodies undulating on top of one another, with groans moans, kisses, and eventually screaming our partners' names (and swear words), inside one another.

We do not sleep, flirting or talking in between sessions while fucking like animals. In the morning, as the sun rises, her naked plates shining in the sun like a living statue of beauty, straddling me, we clasp hands, in preparation for a life of love, prosperity, and happiness. I love you, Jack, she says. I love you too, Terrina. Forever.

Shout to D4rkallmighty on AO3 for letting me use their turian language dictionary!


	2. Chapter 2

Wedding Night (Or Intense Cross-Species Intercourse)

I couldn't believe it.

I was married.

To her. The love of my life.

I had a family now-maybe not my biological one, but legally nonetheless.

We had spent the rest of the day talking with her family and our friends, partying, eating, drinking, socializing, and the like. But, night time came, and it was time to retire to bed. And then...the wedding night sex we both were exceptionally excited for. She was still in her dress, and I was still in my suit, with a few tla'aun petals on it.

As we entered the family home to her room, her dad was in our way.

"I'm so happy for you, darling. I could give less of a damn if your mate is a human. I trust you both. And Jack-you're a Petatius now. Welcome." I

shake his hand, slightly worried that her parents will hear us fuck the living shit out of each other.

"Oh, and the house is all yours tonight. You both deserve some alone time. If you two need anything, we'll be staying at our apartment downtown. Goodnight, you two."

He closes the door, and locks it, hopping in the car with Ten's mom, driving away.

"So...are you ready to go to bed with me….wife?"

She purrs.

"Still can't believe we're bonded. Are you sure this isn't a dream?"

"Well, if it is, I'm sure your orgasms and screams will."

She purrs again, a hand drawing down to my hip. "C'mon. Don't you want to see your mate naked?"

"Your mate as well."

We walk into the bedroom, and she close the door. We sit on the bed, and as I start to undo my suit, she stops me.

"Before we do it….there's a few….turian things you should know."

"How is this any different from our previous times together?"

"Turian bonding tradition is that the male rips the dress of the female, and….the female has to be submissive. Just for one night. To claim me. We've already done bondmarks, so…" She stands up in front of me, barefoot.

"I'm wearing nothing under this."

"So…." I ask.

"Yep. You can do whatever you want. I'll do whatever you say, sexually. Regular, anal….oral."

"Okay."

I reach to her chest, and begin to undo her dress. Once there's a slit in the seams, I smile, and tear it off her, falling to the floor, exposing her body. She's amazing, a perfect person to love and share a bed and life with. I strip in front of her. We stand before each other naked, and I lean onto her, embracing her.

"This is nice. Wonderful."

We sway back and forth as I walk backwards toward bed.

"You. Me. On this bed."

She purrs, and lays down, beckoning me with a talon. I'm on top of her, straddling her. I kiss her unplated neck, letting out a soft moan.

"I love you, Jack. Claim me tonight."

I slither down to her vag, where I spread her folds, already soaking. I press my soft lips and my teeth to them, snaking my tongue inside.

"Ahhhh...Jack. Fuck…." She rumbles as I continue.

"You want your mate to ravage you or do you slowly? I intend to fuck the whole night, Ten. Be ready."

"That's what I wanted to hear."

I retreat from her clit, my cock rock hard, hot, and ready to claim her. I grip her hips harder, and the tip enters her slowly. She smiles softly, her mandibles fluttering. Quickly, she drops and gasps, as the air knocked from her as I shove into her hilt.

"Oh spirits, Jack, I've missed you."

"Honey...fuck." I squeeze her hips even more, her ridges inside her massaging me, begging for me to explode. I grind my teeth, my cock grinding against her soft inside. I hold onto the sheets, telling my dick: do not explode. Do NOT explode. I feel a little cum drip out, mixing with her fluids. She moaning now.

"Auuhhh. Auuhhhh. Jack-please...please!" Honey. Please-" I explode into her, filling her as her screams of pleasure echo through the house. The cum fills her, the mixed fluids covering my cock. I've got more in me, but I hold on, until our panting bodies touch again. "Jack. I love you. So much."

"Can I go again? I've got more in me."

"Remember? I'm submissive now, remember. Come on."

I continue my pace, slower this time. I love her body-slender, athletic, silver, and beautiful. Her plates-so nice on my skin. I ram into her once more, her hands tightly gripping my back. She is an apex predator; capable of ripping me to shreds, yet I was the one dominating her, the one owning her. Even before, our sex sessions would be up to both of us, but tonight, it's all me. I bite her neck. She laughs and groans at the same time, as heat comes closer to my tip, staying in her for three minutes now.

"You like that?"

"Please, more." She mewls as I bit harder and harder, as I thrust more and more with furor, grabbing her ass. To her, it's magical. Him in control, her taking it, their fluids and bodies mixing-it's everything she's wanted with them in bed.

"Baby…" She screams as I come into her, all the love and strength filling her. We rest for a few minutes, snuggled, before she rolls off of me.

"So….what next?" I'm still partially hard. I simply point towards my cock.

"Suck my cock, honey." She slips out of bed, me enjoying the view, before she puts a pair of plastic covers on her teeth. She strokes me, gripping me until she envelops me with her mouth, sucking. I scream as I come into her mouth, which she spits out onto the sheets.

We spend the whole night fucking; she keeps me going even when I'm tired. I fuck her on almost every piece of furniture in our room, as well as the couch and dinner table downstairs. Even twice in the shower. It had been spectacular. After the ninth time, I'd thought they'd been done-until she picked me up, carried me downstairs, plopped us on the couch, and snuggled with me, stroking my cock until I fucked her on the family couch. We had done it several more times, until my own legs were unusable and she was nothing more than gasps, pants, and boneless limbs.

We had managed to crawl...yes, crawl back to bed, where her naked body wrapped around mine, until morning, when we awoke.

"Ten. Last night was…"

"Amazing? Yeah, it certainly was. You….definitely claimed me."

"Yeah?" She smiles. She traces a talon down my chest.

"So…" She kisses me.

"Whenver you want sex, just ask." "I'm….wow. Human couples do it less, but….well, I'm up for that."

"I'm glad. Give me something to look forward to after work."

I chuckle. "Really? A hairy, smelly human shoving his fat cock inside you?"

"Yes. Definitely." She smirks.

"So….sex. Who's going to decide who's on top?"

"Well, now that you're bonded to me, we're sexual equals. We can take turns. Also….you'll know when I get turned on when I….lower my voice. Get closer to you. Touch you."

I kiss her again on the neck. "Good morning, my wife. Damn...that feels weird to say." "Well, get used to it, honey. Though calling you my mate will be something getting used to. Say, you hungry?"

"A little, but…." I pull her closer to me under the blankets, snuggling into her form. "I could wait." "Mmmm. It can wait."

She mewls, wrapping her hips around mine, keeping me warm. "Mates take care of each other, Jack. I'll love you forever. Care for you forever."

"As will I, honey. I'll always love you. Damn the fact that you're another species. I love you." " Did...you just sniffle?"

Her voice cracks.

"Y...Yes. I….I just...I almost lost you on Taetrus. I can't lose you again." "Don't worry." I slip a finger into her, as her eyes light up.

"Let me take your mind off things." "Aauhhh….morning sex? Please."

She smiles. "Okay."


	3. Chapter 3

Honeymoon

Hawaii, Earth

Three days after Bonding

Well, we'd been bonded. Finally. I can't describe how it felt when the spirit-priest announced my new last name, and our official marriage. Terrina was quite entertained at the idea of a honeymoon, spending some private time with your newly married spouse before you threw yourself back into the fray that is life. After some planning, she had decided on Hawaii, because of its heat and beaches, like Palaven. I agreed instantly. We had gotten the best deal: just a week of beaches, lounging around, and being naked and fucking.

After we'd gotten our 'room', we'd spent the night with no clothes, finding new ways to make each other come. After our fourth round, we'd collapsed onto the bed, panting. She'd wrapped herself around me, her mandibles fluttering on my chest. I love you so much, Jack. You are my everything. You are my heart. My soul. My strength. And I'll never let you go. Never. She had whispered those words as we had fallen asleep. Finally, after all the loss in my life, all the suffering and loss of close ones, I finally had someone to care about. To love.

I wake the next morning to find my spikey wife snuggled into my frame, snoring. It's like a quiet whisper, combined with a chirp. I smile, slowly stroking her fringe. She's beautiful; her blue markings drawing two lines across her face. I have them, too; granted, they're smaller. She stirs, and wakes up.

"Mmmm...morning, Jack. Spirits, this is a nice way to wake up."

"I know. Not every male of my kind can say they have a spikey wife."

She chuckles. "And I can say the same. Married to an ape? Not so bad."

I laugh. "Oh, you. So...what'd you want to do today?"

"Well…" She shifts herself on top of me, her naked plates shining in the sun. God, she's beautiful. A living homage to the word gorgeous.

"I'd love to go to that beach, but…" She leans over me, whispering in my ear.

"I'd like some breakfast. If you could deliver it, that'd be great." Oh...this is a way to start your morning. You wife, offering you sex on a silver platter. "Sure thing, love. But...you have to be taking it." She flutters her mandibles, and rolls beside me, laying down.

"I'd be more than happy too. Besides, you seem to be ready." I look down, somehow only now noticing the tent in the sheets. I nod, and slide on top of her. Sorry, hon. No foreplay. We're getting right to it.

"Actually hon, could you bend for me?"

"I'd like that." She smiles, and gets down on all fours her wonderful ass in the air. Doggy-style is one of her...kinks. As I get hard, I climb on top. "Honey?"

'Yes?"

"Be loud. Please. Make sounds, be noisy...for me." She mewls in response. I slide into her, filling her ass with my fully grown member. She purrs.

"Yes, that spot right there. Please." Oh yeah. That spot makes her crazy.

"Keep going, and if you make me scream, I'll leave my clothes off for the rest of the day." I begin to thrust.

"You like that?"

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" I increase my place, gripping her hips as I thrust her towards the wall, garbled moans coming from her mouth.

"Who's your mate? Who's fucking you right now? Huh?"

"YOU! YOU! OH YES!" Her frenzied moans intoxicate me with pleasure, making me hazy as I pull her hips down, harder and harder. Even though I'm usually on top, due to her general body size and strength, she, in a way, is more...powerful. In control. She hold me tightly, and her talons...do leave marks, as well as her bites. One of the few downsides to sex with her. As I get closer and closer to my climax, she shudders, pushing back. In response, I thrust harder, making her cry out my name.

"If you do that love, you'll get punished."

"Punish me. Please." I pat her back, and kiss her back. I rock her hips, fire flowing through me as I get closer and closer. She's tired now, taking it like a champ, nearly being thrusted into the wall.

"Ten, I'm gonna cum! I'm gonna-" My voice goes hoarse as I orgasm, my nerves melting as my body goes limp, cumming into her. She screams, her ass filled with the fountain of pleasure from me. We collapse onto the bed, me on top. We cannot speak, just huffing and recovering, our heartbeats beating like we've run ten miles. My sweat drips onto her, as she lays her head on my chest.

"Spirits….wow."

"It feels a lot better, doing with someone you're married to."

"I couldn't agree more." She looks up.

"Mmmm. Well, it's early. You wanna shower?"

"Honey, if I could do it, I'd shower with you every moment of my life."

She purrs, creeping cross my body, straddling me until we're face-to-face. "Oh? And why is that? Is it this body?"

She sits up, giving me a nice, sexy view of her.

"Y-yes." "Even due to my lack of tits?"

"Yes, even that." She looks down, noticing me growing.

"Ohhh. Getting excited now, are we?"

She crawls back, running her hands down my chest. I'm about to speak, but she puts a finger to her mouth, quieting me.

"You took care of me, my mate. Now I'll take care of you." She breathes, and lowers herself onto me, connecting the both of us.

"Fuck. You're tight, honey." She groans as she adjust herself, placing herself on me. I begin to thrust up into her, thrusting her up with each move.

"Yeah. Oh yeah. You like it?"

"Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah." She rocks up and down, moaning. "Harder! Harder! Harder!" We both come at the same time.

In her opinion, this holiday had started out amazing, in the best way possible. They had gotten probably the nicest hotel room she'd seen in her life with a view looking like a Iron Age painting. They had kissed, and proceeded to strip in the living room, ending up with both of them on the soft bed, completely bare, with her on the bottom. She had pleasant memories of that. "Oh Jack, YES! Yes, yes, yes, yes!" "Ohhh….harder. Harder, harder, harder, Harder!"

After some passionate lovemaking, we decide to spend some time outside. Because why not? We set ourselves up on the beach, right between our cabin and the beach. She wears a traditional turian 'beachwear'- a pair of swim shorts and nothing else. She's just here to sunbathe-turians can't swim. I wear only swim trunks-she likes me without a shirt. We relax on the soft sand, letting our bodies sink into the sand.

She lays her head on my bare chest, taking in the sun, tracing a talon on my stomach. "Why are humans so soft?"

"Well, we can't all be the same, can we, Ten?"

"Guess not. But-" She looks up at me, touching my nose with a talon, giggling.

"You do feel like a soft pillow. Mmmm. I'm glad I tried human, huh?" We laugh, catching some views. Turian women can be quite exposed in beachwear, due to their lack of a need for a top. Also, you usually don't see couples like us. Human women with male turians? More common. But, couples like us exist. So, as my newlywed wife and I bask in Sol's glory, relaxing in the glow of love and joy, we rest in the fact that we've both finally found someone to love.

After an hour of sunbathing, we put on footwear, and head to the bar. She excuses herself to go to the bathroom. As I sip my beer, a shirtless guy with an N7 tattoo sits down next to me. A female turian follows, with red markings. Huh.

"That your wife?"

"That's right. Terrina. We just got married a few days ago." His eyes widen with surprise.

"Honeymoon, huh?" "Yep." He laughs. "Oh, where are my manners? Let me introduce myself. I'm James Dawson, former Lieutenant Commander, N7s. This is my fiance, Lieutenant Acilia Flolin, Cabal."

"Oh! You're with a female turian, too?"

"That's right." "Well, I'm military, too! Jack Philips, Army, Lieutenant First Class."

As we shake hands, Acilia laughs.

"Wow. Another military guy, huh?"

"Yep! Ten! Hi!"

"Who's this?" Her manidbles adorably flutter with confusion.

"Oh, nothing. Just another couple, like us." She looks at the two.

"Wow! Look at that." She walk over to Acilia. "So, you're with a human too, huh?"

"Yep! We're engaged. Going to be married in a month."

"Congratulations! So..how'd you two meet?"

We both began talking, interspecies couple to interspecies couple. Acilia and James met on Palaven, during the early stages of the Reaper War. They initially had a friendship, but when stuck in a last-stand situation, decided to spend their final moments fucking. Fortunately, they were rescued. They were in a relationship for 10 more months, before he proposed to her. Since Acilia's family was...nonexistent in her life, they decided to have a human-style wedding, and she'd take his name.

Fortunately for them, his parents supported their choice (can't say the same for other interspecies couples), and they were engaged. We talked for a bit, and exchanged numbers. We go back to the beach for a bit, then head back to our room.

As soon as the door is locked, Jack kisses Terrina, aggressively. "So...bed?" "Of course." She slips a talon into his shorts. "I was beginning to miss how you felt." He grins, gripping onto hers, pulling them down. She giggles, pulling his shorts down, the couple standing naked in front of each other. He grabs her ass and squeezes. She purrs in response.

And of course, we had sex.

It's our honeymoon: what else would we do?

The rest of our first day went as planned. We went on a lengthy boat tour, and introduced her to to whale-watching. As a turian, who wanted nothing to do with the ocean (due to their lack of swimming capability), she was a bit on edge, yelping every time the boat shook, or turned. That fear instantly went away when a humpback did a flop in front of us, giving us a saltwater shower. Her laugh of surprise as we got wet together was something I'd never forget, one of the more memorable parts of our honeymoon.

After the first flop, she was practically bouncing up and down like a kid, asking for more. Loudly. A little embarrassing, but you can't blame her for seeing something completely alien. We went back to the hotel for a bit, then went exploring the city, and had dinner until the evening, when she wanted to see the sunset from the beach. We sat on the beach, holding hands in our trunks, watching the sun set.

Her mandibles flickered, and she leaned onto me.

"Remember what I asked about earlier? About doing it on the beach?"

I smiled. "Hon, this is public-"

"Hon. No one's here." She gets up, and walks down to the shoreline, where she bends down while removing her trunks, giving me a clean view of her ass. She smiles, flexing her naked body in front of the sun, beckoning me. I join her, take my trunks off, and we make sweet, passionate love on the beach as the sun sets.


	4. Chapter 4

Nightmare

PTSD is a bitch.

Especially when it comes to sleeping.

Being a kid raised by gangs and criminal scum, you tend to see and do a lot of things that are...abnormal for someone who doesn't even know about the birds and the bees. Since I left the Third Street Reds, I have nightmares and flashbacks about my past. When my wife-to-be and I became official, I told her about how I had night terrors and flashbacks to my gang past.

She was freaked out by the first few times (they've gotten rarer since I take new meds, but they still happen) but got used to it, comforting me in the middle of the night. I can't usually go back to sleep after it, so we smex to get our minds off it. Hey, we're already naked. If it weren't for Ten and her family and their soldier-therapy connections (Ten's mom had a problem with it, too), I don't know where I'd be.

It is cold. Dark. The streets of Chicago are covered in snow. The city is asleep, except for one alley, where a life hangs in the balance.

'Shoot the snitch! Shoot the snitch! Shoot the snitch!" Our leader, Hadre, whips out his Predator, silencing the crowd. "Y'all know why we're here."

He pointed the pistol at the shaking, bloodied body on the snow-caked concrete, shivering with fear and frigidness.

"Alejandro here's workin' for the god-damned Snake Eyes down on Sixth! And his les…" He puts the barrel up to Alejandro's chin,

"Has resulted in the death of Honey G! Now...what the hell do we do with this bastard?"

The mob of gangs go wild. "Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!" Hadre cackles.

"That's what I like to hear, boys!" A voice emits from the crowd.

"Who's gonna off him?" He looks around, before eyeing me. "Oh, I know. Little Jack here should do it. He's been with us since he was a baby! Y'all boys from Downers and the hood know that? This boy has been raised, one hundred percent man!"

He walks over to my 9 year old self. "Take the gun. You know what to do."

I shrink in fear. "But-" "Hey. Hey. None of that."

He puts it in my hand, cocks it, and pushes me over to the tied-up individual. "See...you take it in your hand...raise it like this...aim...and shoot. All you need to do...is shoot. Is it so hard?"

I raise the shaking gun at the man's head. His mouth is covered, but I don't need to see his mouth. He's saying no, please don't. No. My finger tightens on the trigger. I don't want to. I don't want to. I don't want to. I don't-

BANG.

The man's head explodes, and the crowd cheers-

I wake up, with a loud gasp, sweating as if I'd just ran a marathon. Terrina stares down at me, her bare body on top of me, her arms wrapped around my sweaty body.

"It's okay. It's okay. I'm here. It was a dream. You're okay."

Shivering, I look away from her. "I-I...it was...real...so real…"

She hugs me tighter, hugging me with her large turian form.

"Remember what we talked about. What the doctor said."

I hug her back, sniffling into her neck. After a few minutes, I relax my body, and she lies next to me.

"What happened?"

"It was...I killed someone." "Taetrus?"

"No. Gang. Chicago. I was nine. I...I killed him. In cold blood."

"Nine?" She sounds horrified.

"What was I then. Who am I now? I can't be a husband. Look at me. I'm nothing. I a goddamn murderer, for chrissakes! I killed when I was nine. I robbed, I hurt people, I'm a piece of shit lost from his parents because I wasn't worth it? Why did they die, and I lived? Why? WHY?"

She hugs me until I cry my eyes out.

"Jack...listen." She sits cross-legged in front of me, putting our foreheads together, taking my wet, sloppy hands in hers.

"I know you had a bad past. I know you've done things. But...it wasn't your fault. You were forced to. Made to under the threat of jail or death. And while I may not be able to forgive you for doing that...I love you. You're a different person now. Look at now, not then. You have a family that loves you. You have a wonderful wife that loves you.. My parents and clan accept you, and treat you like one of our own. You've made a life for yourself. But you need to forget the past, Jack. You need to stop worrying about being a mate. You're fantastic at that. To me-you're brighter than any star, Jack Petatius."

She traces my face paint. "You don't need to worry about accidentally hurting me. You would never do that. The Jack that I know and love would never do that. Can you be that Jack?" "I...yes. I can. I'm sorry. About everything." "Will you do the therapy Mom suggested?" "I will. For you and your family." I kiss her.


End file.
